Progressive Muscle Relaxation scripts
Free, step-by-step PMR scripts you can read aloud to someone, record for yourself, or simply follow line by line. Each one is built around the same clinically studied technique: tense a muscle group gently, then release — and let the calm settle in.
What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation?
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a relaxation technique developed in the 1920s by the American physician Dr. Edmund Jacobson. The idea is simple: when you deliberately tense a muscle and then let it go, the muscle relaxes more deeply than it would on its own. Move through the body group by group and the whole nervous system follows — heart rate slows, breathing softens, and the mind quietens with the body.
Because it works through the body rather than the breath or mind alone, PMR is widely used to help with insomnia, anxiety, and chronic stress. It is one of the most studied relaxation methods, and you need nothing but a few quiet minutes to try it.
How to use these scripts
- Find a quiet spot where you can sit or lie down without being disturbed for the length of the session.
- Tense gently — never to the point of pain or cramp. Aim for about 70% effort, hold for 5 seconds, then release all at once.
- Notice the contrast between tension and release. That contrast is where the relaxation lives.
- Read slowly. If you are reading to someone (or recording yourself), pause where you see … and let each release breathe for a few seconds.
- Skip anything that hurts. If a muscle group is injured, just imagine it softening instead of tensing it.
Choose a script
PMR script for sleep
A slow, full-body wind-down to read in bed when your mind won't switch off.
≈ 10 minutesPMR script for anxiety & stress
A grounding sequence to release a racing, keyed-up body and settle the nerves.
≈ 8 minutesNeck & shoulder tension release
A quick, focused script for the upper body — perfect for a desk break.
≈ 5 minutesFull-body relaxation
The complete head-to-toe sequence for deep, whole-body unwinding.
≈ 15 minutesPMR script for kids
A playful, read-aloud version — squeeze a lemon, stretch like a cat — for calming children.
≈ 7 minutesQuick 5-minute reset
A fast pass through the big tension spots — for desks, cars, and between meetings.
≈ 5 minutesDon't want to read it yourself?
Superchill turns the same technique into audio. Tell it how you feel and it writes a fresh session for you, then reads it aloud in a calming voice — personalized to your focus, your pace, and logged to Apple Health. Free to try.
